Congress has won the Datia Assembly bypoll in Madhya Pradesh, with candidate Ghanshyam Singh defeating BJP’s Ashutosh Tiwari by a margin of 6,016 votes. The result gives the Congress a significant electoral boost in the state ahead of future political contests.
Singh secured 66,757 votes whereas Tiwari finished as runner-up with 60,741 votes.
The Datia Assembly bypoll was necessitated after sitting Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti was disqualified in April following his conviction and sentencing by a Delhi court in a bank fraud and cheating case.
The bypoll was closely watched as both the BJP and the Congress sought to strengthen their political position in Madhya Pradesh.
Reacting to the result, BJP candidate Ashutosh Tiwari thanked voters, party workers and leaders for their support throughout the campaign.
He said the party cadre had worked with full dedication to take the government’s welfare schemes to the grassroots and added that he would humbly accept whatever mandate the people of Datia delivered.
The bypoll witnessed celebrations at the state Congress headquarters in Bhopal, where party workers danced to the beats of drums and hailed the victory as a mandate against the BJP government.
Earlier in the day, Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Jitendra Patwari thanked the people of Datia, saying they had exposed the BJP government’s “arrogance and corruption”, while Ghanshyam Singh credited voters and party workers for the win.
WHY THIS RESULT MATTERS?
The bypoll result is being viewed as more than just the outcome of a single Assembly seat.
Political observers believe it raises questions over the BJP’s candidate selection strategy and the party’s organisational strength in the region.
One of the most striking aspects of the result was the BJP’s defeat at polling booth number 121, considered the stronghold of former state Home Minister Narottam Mishra. At the booth, the Congress secured 291 votes against the BJP’s 264.
Datia had long been regarded as Narottam Mishra’s political bastion.
However, after his defeat in the 2023 Assembly election, the BJP replaced him with Ashutosh Tiwari for the bypoll.
THE MOVE HAS COME UNDER SCRUTINY
The move is now expected to come under scrutiny, with speculation likely over whether the change affected party unity and whether Mishra’s supporters fully backed the official candidate. Although Mishra campaigned for the BJP nominee, the defeat is likely to trigger discussions over possible internal dissent.
The result also presents a challenge for Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, as it marks the BJP’s second successive bypoll loss after Sheopur.
The Congress is expected to project the outcome as a sign of growing public dissatisfaction with the state government, while the BJP will have to assess whether the defeats reflect local factors or indicate broader political concerns.
Political analysts believe the Datia verdict could influence the BJP’s approach to candidate selection, local leadership and organisational cohesion ahead of the 2028 Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections.
For the Congress, the victory is likely to serve as a morale booster and reinforce its claim of strengthening support against the ruling BJP.
– Ends
With inputs from Ravish Pal Singh and ANI
